Lady&#39;s portable powder dispenser



June 14, 1949. P. woLFr-:Rs

LADYS PORTABLE POWDER DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 2, 1944 NVENTOR.

PH n. P

laurens BY ATTORNEY.

June 14, 1949. P. wom-'ERS 2,472,374

LADYS PORTABLE POWDER DISPENSER Filed Nov. 2, 1944 V 2 sheets-sheet 2 jl 3,-' 2 /zo 32 l N VEN TOR. Puuu Iu feas BY TTORN E Y.

Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LADYS PORTABLE POWDER DISPENSER Application November 2, 1944, Serial No. 561,5!)8

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to ladies portable powder dispensers, commonly known and hereinafter referred to as compacts Compacts, in general, include a base, a mirrorcarrying cover hinged thereto, a latch diametrically opposite to the hinge for holding the cover closed, and a manually operable element adjacent the latch for releasing the same to permit opening of the cover.

In normal operation, the hinge of a compact is held away from the user in order to position the mirror properly for inspection of the features. This is accomplished by grasping the compact with the thumb at one side of the compact between the hinge and latch, and other fingers of the same hand at the opposite side of the compact. To open the compact, the manually operable latch releasing element is manipulated by the other hand. This use of both hands to open a compact for a long time has been a source oi annoyance, since women quite often are encumbered with articles which can be carried for a few moments by one hand but which must be laid down to open a compact with both hands.

In accordance with my present invention, I contemplate the provision of a compact of such improved construction that the same may be held and opened with but one hand, thus enabling the user to inspect herself Without laying down all her portable articles. This construction also enables a user to apply makeup more quickly, since the compact can be held and opened with one hand while the other hand holds the makeup article as, for example, a powder puff, or a lipstick, rouge, or mascara applicator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compact having a novel dispensing means comprising relatively few and simple parts but which, nevertheless, is highly efficient in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a compact in which the dispensing means is operated in an improved manner by movement of the same element which releases the latch.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved compact which is of durable and inexpensive construction and attractive appearance.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a compact embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view thereof taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the base of the compact before the mounting plate for the powder tray is secured in place;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of said base as it appears before the cover is hinged thereto;

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views taken substantially along the lines 5 5 and 6 6, respectively, or Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken sub- .etantially along the line 1 1 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 8 8 of Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, I0 denotes a compact embodying my invention and comprising a base l2 and cover i4.

The compact may be of any desired plan contour adapted to provide a pleasing appearance. However, I prefer for the contour to be such as to furnish lateral holds or grips for the thumb and lingers, the term lateral as used herein denoting any point on the plan periphery of the compact which is intermediate the hinge and the latch. To this end, the plan contour of the illustrated compact lo has two diametrically opposite indentatlons I6, t3 which are disposed approximately 90 away from the hinge. For aesthetic purposes, four other lndentations 2|), 22, 24, 26 may also be formed in the plan contour of the compact, these indentations optionally being of the same size and shape as the indentations I6, I8 and being spaced 60 away therefrom, so as to give a pleasing. symmetrical appearance to the compact. It will be understood that indentations 20--26 are provided only to enhance the appearance of the compact and have no bearing upon the operation or handling thereof. It will also be understood that, although I prefer to have the ringer holds comprising the indentations I6, i8, 90 away from the hinge and diametrlcally opposite' to each other, such position is not essential and said finger holds may, for example, each be 60 away from the hinge and on opposite sides of the compact, i. e., on opposite sides of the hinge. In addition,v the nger holds need not be of the concave configuration illustrated, and may comprise, by way of example, flats in the convex plan curvature of the compact.

It should also be noted that the plan contour of the compact may be controlled by either or both the bottom or cover of the compact. For example, if the cover and bottom are of like size and shape in plan, as is the case in the illustrated embodiment of my invention, then the contour of both will govern the contour of the compact. However, itrnay be desirable sometimes to have either the bottom or the cover larger than the other part, in which case the larger part governs the plan contour. In the latter case, it will be appreciated that the contour of the smaller part may vary from the general plan contour of the compact. Thus, if the bottom of the compact has the plan contour illustrated in Fig. 1 and the top is smaller than the bottom, the top may be of circular outline lying wholly within the plan contour of the bottom.

For decorative purposes, I may fashion the outer casing of the compact, including the top and bottom, from a plastic material of any type well known to the art. for example, cellulose acetate, an acrylic resin, or a phenolic condensate. Obviously, if desired, the outer casing could be of metal. As shown, the cover comprises a plastic shell 30, and the base a plastic shell 32. These shells have an external contour which is controlled by the desired appearance of the compact and an inside conuguration of such nature as to secure in place the various internal parts of the cornpact, hereinafter described.

The rear of the bottom shell 32 has a pair of squat pedestals 34, 33 with registered bores 33, 40 therein, the top surface of the pedestals being curved to conform to the desired top contour of the compact. A clear space 4| is provided between the pedestals to receive the bearing portion of the plastic cover shell 3|). Said bearing portion includes a pair of parallel circular ears 42 each adapted to lie adjacent a pierced wear plate 43 on an interior surface of the pedestals 34, 3B. Said ears, which are integral with the cover shell 30 and extends downwardly from the rear edge thereof, are apertured in registration to rotatably receive a pin 44 which is fixedly secured in the bores 38, 40. The rear portion of the base shell 32 is reinforced by a pair of shoulders 43, 48 underlying the ears 42 and extending upwardly from the base shell partway into the clear space 4|. The bearing portion of the cover shell is reinforced by a rib 50 interconnecting the two ears 42 and extending radially inwardly from the hinge toward the center of the compact. A projection 52 at the rear of said rib extends around in back of the pin 44 for a purpose soon to be described.

Means is provided to resiliently bias the cover and base shells rotatably apart to open position. Said means comprises a spring 54 formed from resilient wire into the shape of a helix 56 including a plurality of turns encircling the pin 44 between the ears 42 and having its two ends 58, 60 extending from the helix and shaped to fit against the inside surfaces of the cover and base shells 30, 32. The spring in relaxed position has its two ends 58, 6D in alignment extending on opposite sides of the helix 56, so that said spring biasses apart the cover and base in both open and closed condition of the compact.

Means is also provided to check movement of the cover at fully open position approximately 9i)c away from the base. Such check or stop means may comprise a relatively stiff leaf spring 62 secured to the base shell 32 by imbedded rivets 64 and having a free end 63 lying in the path of travel of the projection 52 on the cover shell 30. Said spring will abruptly but resiliently arrest opening movement of the cover when it is in its proper position.

The cover shell has an interiorly disposed mirror 68 mounted therein in any suitable manner. For example, said Shell may have a `shallow circular central recess molded therein, the same being interrupted only at the rib 50. The mirror 68 is snugly received in said recess and is held in place by a sheet metal retainer 'I2 which lies flush against the inner flat surface 14 of the shell 30 surrounding said recess. The outer edge of said retainer is turned in beneath a beveled undercut 'I6 circumscriblng said inner surface 'I4 to anchor the retainer in the shell, and the inner edge of the retainer is upset and pressed against the beveled side edge of the mirror as at 18.

A suitable powder tray is mounted in the base shell 32, resting upon bosses 8|. Said powder tray, pursuant to the dispensing feature of the invention later described, is of circular contour and may be centrally disposed in the base shell. The powder tray includes a bottom wall 32 having an upstanding rim 34 and a rolled top edge 36. An outwardly extending flange B8 is integral with the rolled top edge and is disposed below the same. The rolled edge 86 of the tray is pressed through a large central aperture B9 in a mounting plate 90 until the flange 88 abuts against the underside of the plate. Said mounting plate may have a contour substantially similar to that of the base shell 32 but is of slightly small dimensions, and is provided with a depending peripheral rim 92 which is force-fitted within the enclosure defined by the inner surface of a flange 94 running around the periphery of said base shell except at the rear thereof. The depth of insertion of said mounting plate 9D is defined by abutment of the lower edge of the rim 92 against a plurality of nibs 3B provided at spaced points around the inner surface of the ange 94.

A powder pui tray 98 is also provided, said tray comprising a base wall |00 with an upstanding rim |02 adapted to be frictionally fitted against the inner surface of the rim 84 of the powder tray. This friction fit is tight enough to hold the powder puff tray in place and prevent powder from leaking out from between the powder tray and powder puff tray but is not so tight that the tray cannot be dislodged manually. The depth of insertion of the powder puff tray is limited by a rolled bead |04 from which there extends an upwardly tilted annular flange |06 beneath which a linger nail may be inserted when it is desired to pry loose the powder puff tray.

A powder pull IBB is adapted to be captiveiy received, at such time as the compact is closed, between said powder puif tray 98 and the mirror 68.

Pursuant to my invention, I provide a dispensing means of simple construction which is positive and noiseless in operation. Such means comprises a distributor |||l in the form of a circular sheet metal disc ||2 having a depressed hub H4 from which a plurality of angularly spaced arms IIB integrally extend. As will be seen later, the distributor is rotated in a predetermined direction (counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 4). The leading edge ||8 of each arm is provided with a forwardly and downwardly sloping surface |24 (Fig. 8) and is adapted to slide on the upper surface of the bottom wall B2 of the powder tray, so that as said distributor is turned in the aforesaid direction, it will raise powder from said tray and force the same toward the top of the distributor. The distributor is so dimensioned that its top surface slidably engages the undersurface of the bottom wall |00 of the powder puff tray 98. Said bottom wall has a plurality of radial slits (or round holes) |22 formed therein in a suitable manner as, for example, by cutting. Preferably, these slits are so narrow and are inclined at such an angle, with regard to the thickness of the bottom wall |00 of the powder puff tray. that the base. .This latter action forces the tapered surfbe ordinestud head |82 against the extension I 84V camming said extension out of the path of travel of the stud head, until the `stud head passes the extension, whereupon said extension springs back into locking ex 1gagement with the back stud head. Due to the foregoing construction, although the latch is diametrically opposite to the hinge, I am able to'easily release the same by manipulation ofl an element which is disposed laterally of the compact and in this manner render the compact capable of being opened with the same hand which is holding the compact in proper position for use subsequent to opening.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above stifor-th, it is to be understood that all matter herein-set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

` 1. A powder compact comprising an approxi- 'niately round base, a cover, a hinge to connect the cover to said base, said hinge being disposed adjacent the periphery of the base and having its axis of rotation perpendicular to aline running from the center of the base to the hinge, a spring connected to the cover and base to resiliently urge said cover to open position, a mirror mounted interiorly of said cover, whereby when said compact with its cover open lies in a users palm and is grasped by the iingers at the periphery of the base on both sides of the hinge and approximately halt way between the hinge and the diametrically opposite part of the compact at points about 90 away from the hinge with the center of the base as a reference point, the mirror will be positioned for inspection of the users features. said base havingiopposed peripheral indentations approximataiy half way between the hinge and the diametrically opposite part of the compact at points about 90 away from the hinge with the center of :the base as a reference point. said indentations serving as finger holds, a powder tray in said base, a latch for detachably securing said cover to 'said base at a point approximately diametrically opposite to the hinge, and a manually operable element disposed in one of said indentations for releasing the latch, said latch-releasing-element being shiftable radially with respect to the center of said base, whereby said latch may be released by pressing against the base of the compact and the 1atch-releasingelement, the fingers-tof the hand holding the compact in proper position for use subsequent to opening.

2.411 compact as set forth in claim 1 wherein the powder trayv is provided with a, perfor-ate top and wherein means is provided to transport powder in limited predetermined quantities through said top, `said means being operable by the latchreleasing-element.

PHILIP WOLF'ERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

STATES PATENTS Number l Name Date 1,422,981 Hyatt July 18, 1922 1,451,505 Goertz Apr. 10, 1923 1,459,450 Schmidt June 19, 1923 1,520,036 Sweaf 1 Dec. 23, 1924 1,667,486 Morrison Apr. 24, 1928 1,870,946 Cutler Aug. 9, 1932 1,957,650 Jeiries May 8, 1934 2,003,540 Irelan June 4, 1935 2,010,909 Zell Aug. 13, 1935 

